The Potters' Daughter
by flyawayturtledove
Summary: Lily Potter, daughter of Harry and Ginny, sister of James and Albus, leads a life full of ups and downs. This is an account of her most memorable moments as she struggles through the wonderful years of the young, ages 11-30. Revised version, originally published under a different penname.
1. Year One, Sorting

**Author's Note: **I posted this story about six years ago, under the name flyawaydove. I decided this year to revise and add to this story, but I cannot login to my old name. Thus, I have created this new one and will be reposting the revised version of this story. It had been a chapter per year of Lily Potter's life but some years will now have additional chapters to them. I hope you enjoy!

**The Potters' Daughter**

_Year One, Sorting_

Lily Potter was nervous about starting Hogwarts, despite what she had been saying on September first for the past four years, ever since her brother James started Hogwarts. Her parents seemed all too willing to see her and her brothers off of platform nine and three-quarters and onto the steaming Hogwarts Express: they said their farewells quickly, and Lily's mum merely gave her a tight hug and a wish of good luck before pushing her towards the train after her siblings.

She glanced back at her parents as she boarded the Express. Her parents met the nervous glance with encouraging smiles. Lily knew that both of her parents had loved Hogwarts, back in their day, and she was determined to do the same. Still, as the train's whistle blew and it gathered speed, leaving her parents on the platform and herself in the train's corridor, she couldn't help but recall the tales Albus and James had told her of muscular seventh years lying in wait for first years to board the Hogwarts Express for their first time. She glanced around fretfully as she made her way down the hallway, waiting for said students to jump out and hex her. The new, ten and three-quarter inch ebony and phoenix feather wand was clutched tightly in her hand as she peered into the carriages on either side of her, looking for a brother she could sit with.

Then again, her brothers probably did not want their younger sister in their compartment. Albus, at least, had made this clear to her yesterday, while they were packing their trunks for school.

"I don't want my mates thinking I like hanging out with first years," he said annoyingly from the bathroom that joined his bedroom with Lily's. "My little sister will destroy my new image."

Albus was all about image. He would be a third-year student in Slytherin house – the only Potter ever to be placed in Slytherin. Lily hoped she would not be following in his footsteps.

She knew that Slytherin was the worst house to be in. Slytherin had spawned dark wizards, scores of them, including the darkest wizard of them all: the wizard whom her own father had defeated twenty years ago, Lord Voldemort. Of course, Albus knew of this as well, and James was very keen on pointing this out to him as soon as he was sorted into the evil house. Albus insisted that the bravest man their father knew was in Slytherin and stuck by this story, though Lily and James had never heard this piece of evidence from their father.

Nevertheless, Lily hoped that she was sorted into Gryffindor. This was the House that her mum, dad, Aunt Hermione, Uncles Ron, George, Percy, Bill, Charlie, and both sets of grandparents had been in. Lily was very proud of her family roots and wanted to continue the Gryffindor tradition. She wanted to follow in her father's Auror footsteps after Hogwarts and live at home until her parents kicked her out. She loved her family…well, maybe not Albus, because he always pulled mean tricks on her, especially since he'd started Hogwarts. James, on the other hand, was her favorite person to be around, even out of her cousins Rose, Hugo, Freddie, Victorie, and Teddy, who wasn't really her cousin, but they called him a cousin anyhow.

She had a lot of relations like this. Take, for example, Auntie Luna and Uncle Neville. She had to call him Professor Longbottom at Hogwarts to show respect. She was fine with this because she did respect him, very much so, and she was willing to go to some lengths to prove this to him. After all, he was the person who had taught Lily her first spell: _Expelliarmus._

It was going to be strange seeing most of her cousins so frequently at Hogwarts. She hoped that the Sorting Hat would choose to put her in Gryffindor, away from Slytherin Albus and Ravenclaws Rose and Victorie, and with James, Teddy, Hugo and Freddie. Rose was too much of a know-it-all, in Lily's opinion. Usually, at family gatherings, Lily, Rose and Victorie were stuck hanging out together while the boys played Quidditch, which infuriated Lily to no end. While she was trapped, listening to Rose rambling on about books and facts and Victorie talking rapidly in French to make Lily feel inferior, Lily's brothers and cousins soared around the yard on their broomsticks. Sometimes she joined in when they were a player short, but she mostly flew by herself when her brothers were elsewhere. Other times she persuaded her parents into flying with her, especially this past summer because she was training to be on the Gryffindor Quidditch team. James reminded her that they didn't allow first years on the team, but her father had been an exception to the rule; and so, Lily decided, would she.

Lily found James in the last compartment on the train. Four other boys were gathered on the benches with him, laughing and playing around. She wondered if she would allow her to sit with him and his fifth year friends. She hoped he did because she certainly did not want to sit in a carriage with strangers. James and his mates looked towards her as she slid the compartment's glass door open timidly.

"Lily—hi!" James greeted warmly. "Come in, sit down! Guys, this is my little chum, Lily. Sorry, Lils," he said, turning to her, "I forgot you don't like to be left alone."

She felt her cheeks burn red with embarrassment at his annoyingly accurate statement, but she sat down next to her brother all the same, not looking around at the other boys. "All of the compartments were full," Lily mumbled, her face tilted towards the floor.

"You don't mind if she joins us, do you?" James inquired to the carriage's contents, flashing his sister an inviting smile.

When the boys decided that they didn't mind, Lily ventured a look up.

If she had been a few years older, all of these boys would be rather attractive to her. As she was not a few years older, she merely found them to be intimidating fifth years. The boys mostly ignored her, which was fine by her.

The ride to Hogwarts progressed and the sun sank lower in the sky. Still, Lily's nervousness had not subsided. The impending sorting was drawing closer, and she was afraid that, no matter what house she ended up in, friends would be difficult to come by. She slipped out of the compartment to change into her robes as they neared the castle.

Back in the compartment, she admired the sleek, new black robes that would soon be adorned with a house badge. Her parents would want to know right away what house she was sorted into, so she'd compose a letter tonight right after the Sorting. She kept trying to reassure herself that her parents would be proud of her no matter what house she was sorted into, but she still cringed whenever she imagined being in Slytherin.

When the train slowed to a stop and the students started filing out, James told his friends to go on ahead so that he could help his sister. "James, you don't have to do this for me," Lily said, feeling embarrassed again as they were left alone in the carriage.

"Lily, I know this year is going to be difficult for you, without Mum and Dad," James said. He was smiling at her. "I know you're worried about the sorting, but no matter what house you end up in, I'm still your brother."

She smiled back; she knew that he was telling her he was there for her, through thick and thin, whenever she needed to talk. James was always good for that no matter what the situation. "Thanks, James." She hugged him. He glanced around to make sure no one was watching before he wrapped his arms around his little sister. "And don't worry; I'll make my own friends." She was trying to convince herself as much as her brother.

He led her out off of the Hogwarts Express and onto the platform in Hogsmeade. From there, she headed to the boats with the rest of the first years and boarded one with a girl and a boy in it. Their faces were covered in shadow, the only light being cast by the single lamp hanging from the bow of their boat. Lily's instinct was to cower into the stern, and that's what she did, allowing the darkness to hide her shyness. The other two, however, were eager to meet new people and make new friends. They introduced themselves as Garrett and Lucile. The two were already friends, and had been since birth. Lily felt that it would be difficult to become friends with them, but as they approached the castle and told Lily about themselves and their lives, she got the feeling that they were willing to welcome them with open arms into their friendship; they were as eager to make friends as she was.

Lily walked with them into the castle, where she could see them more properly. Garrett had light brown hair and pale skin, Lucile bright blue eyes and an olive complexion. They laughed easily together and tried to join Lily in their conversation as they were ushered into a room off of the Great Hall by a professor. Lily laughed at their jokes and attempted to talk with them until the sorting began. They were led into the Great Hall, the magnificent ceiling stretching out above them, the four house tables surrounding them, the teachers table before them, right behind the stool with the Sorting Hat placed upon it. Lily's heart started thumping noisily against her ribcage as the rip in the brim of the Hat opened, and it began to sing. The words were lost to Lily, who was focusing on the beating of her heart and her possibly impending doom.

Garrett and Lucile were both called up to the hat before her as Blume and Moore, respectively. When Lily Potter's name was read, she wove her way through the crowd of first years and sat on the stool, facing the rest of the school of Hogwarts.

Her father had told her of when he was sorted and the name Potter was a surprise to the whole of the Wizarding World. She was glad that there were two Potters in school before her and that the reputation of her father had been worn down with time – now there wasn't much attention on Lily Potter as she sat on the stool, under the Sorting Hat, in front of the entire school of Hogwarts.

It must have been only a moment before the Hat decided where to place her, though it seemed like long, stretching minutes before it shouted "Gryffindor!" amidst the hundreds of Hogwarts students. Applause erupted from the Gryffindor table, and Lily could distinctly hear her brother and her cousins cheering the loudest, welcoming her to the table. She sat next to her new Gryffindor friends, Garrett and Lucile.


	2. Year Two, Quidditch

_Year Two, Quidditch_

Quidditch tryouts were currently in progress, and Lily Potter was waiting in the stands until the captain called out her name to begin her trial as a Seeker for the Gryffindor Quidditch team. At the moment, the Chaser trials were happening, so Lily still had to wait through two more Chasers and four Beaters until it was her turn.

She was nervous, but only enough to put her more on point and not enough to inhibit her flying abilities. It would be very difficult to fly if there were knots in her stomach, accompanied by fluttering butterflies, causing a violent stomachache. When it came to flying, Lily was confident in her skills as a Seeker.

James played Keeper on the Gryffindor Quidditch team. He was sitting with his fellow teammates on the sidelines of the pitch watching the potential Chasers trying to get the Quaffle through one of the three hoops guarded by the captain, who also played Chaser on the team.

Albus played Quidditch as well, for the Slytherin team. He was a Chaser, and had been playing on the team for the last two years. Lily always loved watching the Gryffindor-Slytherin Quidditch matches just to see her brothers opposing each other. She was always rooting for James, of course. She got great satisfaction when James blocked an Albus-thrown Quaffle. Their on-the-pitch rivalry had not made life any easier when they were all home for holidays, but the only people that minded that were her parents.

Lily hadn't been able to try out for the position of Seeker last year because the Seeker was a seventh year student there was no need for a tryout. Plus, James pointed out to her, even if an opportunity for tryouts was needed, her dream of being a first-year Quidditch player like her father would most likely not have been realized.

But now Lily was in her second year and fully prepared to take her place on the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Sitting next to her were two others who wanted to try out for Seeker. They were older than second year students; Lily was trying not to let this intimidate her. She doubted that any of them wanted to be Seeker more than she. Ever since Lily could remember, her dream was to become Seeker on a house team, just like her father. According to her mother, aunts, and uncles, Harry Potter had been an incredible Seeker. Her mother had been a Seeker for a time as well, before becoming Chaser, so Lily knew that Seeking was in her blood.

Her grandfather, James's namesake, had also been on the Gryffindor Quidditch team. The Potter family Quidditch players stretched across three generations, and Lily was determined not to be the Potter that broke the tradition.

The Chaser tryouts were over, the captain selected one, and the Beater trials began. Lily battled the knots that were threatening to tie themselves in her stomach as burly-looking fifth years stepped onto the pitch with Beater's bats. As one of the team members released the Bludgers into the air, Lily managed to untie said knots with deep breathing. The girl sitting on the bench next to her gave her a sidelong glance of curiosity as she listened to Lily's heavy breaths. Lily clutched her Lighteningbolt tightly in her hand, the wood of the broomstick's handle pressing reassuringly against her palm.

James and Albus had both made it easily onto their respective house Quidditch teams. At James's tryout he had blocked the hoops expertly, preventing all attempts the Chasers made at scoring a goal. Albus, on the other hand, had made every goal he attempted on the Keeper. They had both unanimously been voted onto the teams. Lily hoped that she would have as much luck as they did.

The Seeker tryouts were now in progress, and the name of the girl next to Lily was called. Her broom was not as new as Lily's was, but she still flew very well. The nervousness was beginning to set in.

Over the past summer, her brothers and cousins had finally allowed her to participate in Quidditch games during family gatherings, after she confided in James how much she despised sitting under a tree, watching, with Rose and Victorie. Her skills had improved with the help of the boys. They were more willing to tell her what she was doing wrong than her parents were.

They called her name. Swallowing hard, her heart thumping much as it did that sorting day in the Great Hall, Lily stepped forward with her broom in her hands, climbing down the bleachers and onto the pitch.

She was glad that it was a nice day outside. There was little wind and the sun was hiding behind a cloud, so it wouldn't glare in her eyes as she searched for the Snitch. When the sun was bright and shining it reflected off of metallic surfaces, sometimes feigning the look of a golden Snitch. But that would not be a problem today.

The two Seekers who had flown before Lily had caught the Snitch in twelve and eight minutes, respectively. She knew that the Snitch would be easier to find now instead of under the circumstances in which she practiced: with the rest of the team on the pitch, with another team trying to whack Bludgers at her head, and with another Seeker also looking for the Snitch. She hoped that she could find it before the other two Gryffindors that had tried. Her record time for catching a Snitch in a backyard game of Quidditch was ten minutes, but that only occurred once. The Snitch in their yard tended to hide between rocks and under the cover of bushes. These tactics became annoying quickly, so Lily hoped that the Snitch she would have to find in a few moments stuck to the air.

She stood at the edge of the pitch, waiting for the captain to come over to her with the Snitch in his hand. Lily glanced over at the rest of the team, sitting on the sidelines. James caught her eye and gave her a wink. In the Hufflepuff set of stands across the long, oval pitch sat Garrett and Lucile, come to watch their friend try out. They weren't fliers themselves, but they supported Lily's determination to make the team.

The Snitch was released in front of her, so she mounted her Lighteningbolt and shot off after the tiny golden ball. She loved the feeling of weightlessness with the wind whipping against her face and tangling its fingers in her hair. She would spend most of her time flying if she could.

She estimated that a minute had passed in her less-than-eight-minute goal. Squinting, she scanned the pitch in search of the Snitch. There was no gold glint in sight. She pressed her broom to go faster, laying herself down flatter against the sleek handle.

Her father always made sure to update his children's brooms as new models came out on the market. He wanted to ensure they were all playing and practicing with the fastest, most state-of-the-art brooms. Usually, this meant yearly broom updates. This was the only way her father spoiled his three children; other than the newest brooms, they lived rather modestly. The Lighteningbolt had been this summer's new advancement, and Lily and her brothers were the only three students in Hogwarts to have one. James would frequently parade his about to make everyone else jealous. Lily hoped the new broom wouldn't fail her now.

She had no idea how much time she had spent up in the air, frantically turning her head from side to side, looking for the little sphere. Her grip tightened around the wood of her broom. Anxiousness was descending over her. She had to beat the others and make the team, she just had to. She would be humiliated to be the only Potter not to be admitted to the ranks of a Hogwarts Quidditch team. She had to make her parents proud of her.

Just then, she found what she had been searching for. There was the Snitch, lurking on the side of the pitch closest to her. It was hovering under the left goalpost and didn't move from that spot as she approached it as fast as her broom would allow. She stretched her arm out towards it, praying it would not move from her grasp. She swerved around the goalpost and made a grab for it. At the last second, as her fingers were encircling the ball, it tried to zoom away, but Lily reached her fingers further and held it tightly in her hand. She directed her broom to the ground and dismounted. The Snitch was flapping wildly in her hand, attempting escape, as she walked over to the captain and handed him the ball.

"Nice time," he complemented, looking down at his stopwatch.

She flashed him a smile, wondering if he was going to reveal to her this _nice time_.

"Seven minutes and thirty two seconds," he said, answering her unasked question.

The flash of a smile spread rapidly across her face, stretching her mouth into a wide grin. She had beaten the designated time! They _had_ to make her the new Seeker now, didn't they? James had told her that tryouts weren't all about the time you made; it was also about the skill. But surely her time _reflected_ her flying skill?

James was grinning at her from the sidelines.

"I have to confer with my teammates," the captain said to the potential Seekers lined up on the side of the pitch. He turned to the Gryffindor team and they began speaking in hushed tones amongst themselves.

Lily frowned. This process of decision was too long for her. She bounced on the balls of her feet in worry.

It must have only been a minute or two until the captain turned around again, but that minute or two seemed like an hour or two for Lily. When he finally did turn to face the prospective Seekers, he managed to keep all emotion from his face. Lily bit her lip.

"This decision, especially, was a difficult one," he said. "My teammates and I have talked it over, and we've come to a decision we think we'll all be happy with. Congratulations to our new Seeker, Lily Potter."

Lily felt as if she might faint when she heard this news. An elated smile broke out across her face and her eyes immediately sought out James, who beamed back at her. The other Gryffindors who had tried out were mumbling behind her, storming angrily back to the castle. Lily, on the other hand, found herself rooted to the spot, unable to move out of happiness and shock. Gryffindor had a new Potter on the team.


	3. Year Three, Christmas

_Year Three, Christmas_

At the moment, Lily Potter was positioned in front of the Christmas tree in her pajamas, waiting for the rest of her family to make their way downstairs to open gifts. She had a mug of hot tea warming up her hands and she was staring at the glittering lights of the Christmas tree. It was six-thirty in the morning. She was hungry, but a rule of Christmas set down by her father was that breakfast was not to be consumed until all of the family was present. Christmas was all about the family, and not much could be done alone at Christmastime.

Birthdays and Christmases were extravagant events in the Potter household. Lily's favorite holiday was Christmas—it always had been. The reason was not the presents she received, though those were definitely a plus. The reason was because she got to spend the entire day with her family with biscuits and games and love.

Her parents took off work for Christmas no matter what. Despite her father's erratic work schedule as an Auror he always found a way to come home for 24 and 25 December and spend time with his family. For all of Lily's thirteen years on Earth, the element of life most emphasized by her father was the importance of family. He had never known his own family, except for an aunt, uncle, and cousin on his mother's side. He occasionally wrote to his aunt; but other than that, Lily's father had no one else to speak of from his past – the evil Lord Voldemort had killed his parents and godfather a long time ago. He considered Uncle Ron, Aunt Hermione, and their family to be his own family. Because of this, Christmas was a very large event in the Potter household.

In the weeks leading up to Christmas, Lily's mother spent every spare moment covering the house with decorations: garlands encircling the doorways, lights adorning the banisters, tinsel hanging from the chandeliers, mistletoe swinging from the ceiling. In the ballroom, a ten-foot tree was erected and festooned with candles, fairy lights, and icicles. On 21 December, the baking began. Lily and her mother concocted coconut cakes, peach pies, mince pies, chocolate cakes iced with pink roses, apple dumplings, almond pastries, Christmas pudding, treacle tarts, cookies in Christmas shapes, and rice pudding. Delicious smells filled the spacious house for days, and Lily spent those days either covered in flour and sugar, her hair in a ponytail, or in her bedroom wrapping gifts in bright wrapping and silky ribbon.

While all the family spent time together, they also were bathed in secrets. A rule of Christmas was that all gifts were surprises. Every present was treated with secrecy, and each was hidden until wrapping time.

On Christmas Eve, it was customary for the Potters to have a dinner with only the immediate family, finishing it off with Christmas pudding. After dessert, the family migrated into the ballroom and, with mugs of hot chocolate and a glowing tree, they would each open one gift. Another rule of Christmas was that this gift could not be a large one; usually it was a box from Grandma Weasley containing a sweater or a scarf. Bedtime usually came soon after that, though it took Lily a long time to fall asleep out of excitement. Even though she was now thirteen, the excitement of Christmas still had not worn off. The last thought Lily always had before she drifted off to dreamland was that Christmas evening would bring the rest of the family, as well as friends, for a large dinner party four which she could not wait.

Lily was surprised that Albus was not present in the ballroom yet. He was usually the first person downstairs waiting for the present unwrapping. Both of her brothers were later than they usually were, and Lily was growing impatient.

This was a special Christmas to Lily's family because this was the last Christmas they would all spend together before James moved out. Lily didn't like to think about the end of the year when James would be graduating and leaving her with Albus all alone in the house. James had been there for her for the past thirteen years, and the house wouldn't be the same without him. Even though he was nearly 18, he still found time to hang out with his little sister. He was never embarrassed of her, and she was grateful for that.

Albus entered the ballroom, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He was wearing only pajama pants; he shuffled across the cold marble floor towards her, his dark hair flopping into his eyes. He had taken to not wearing a shirt around the house lately to show off the muscles he had been developing as a part of his new Quidditch training program.

"Aren't you cold?" Lily chided. She didn't really approve of his new fashion trend. She preferred to see her brothers fully clothed, thank you.

Albus pretended not to hear her question; he merely scuffled over to the sofa that sat in front of the Christmas tree and sat down next to his sister. "James is on his way down," he mumbled. "Did you make me some tea?"

"The kettle's on the stove," she told him.

Grumbling, he got up and made his way to the kitchen, leaving Lily alone once again. She hoped that the rest of her family came downstairs soon. Her tea was nearly gone; she should have asked Albus to fill her cup, not that he would have. He had become progressively nastier to her over the years. Lily blamed it on Slytherin house. Of course, he always pulled his tricks on her when their parents weren't looking, so they never caught him in the act. The only person that chastised him was James. Lily didn't know what she was going to do once James moved out. Perhaps she would have to move into his new flat with him. He had already decided that he wanted to live in the States and work for the cause of international magical cooperation. Lily hoped that he would have moved as near to her as possible so he could visit often, but she knew that he had big dreams to fulfill. She just had to make the most of the time she had left with him.

James entered the ballroom from the foyer just as Albus reentered from the kitchen. "Hey Lil," James greeted sleepily, ruffling her hair as he took a seat next to her.

"That's my seat," Albus grunted, standing over James with his cup of tea.

Lily wondered how it was possible that Albus could irritate her so early in the morning. There was an easy chair on either side of the sofa, but he had to be obnoxious, even on Christmas Day.

"Where're Mum and Dad?" Lily asked James, ignoring Albus as he had ignored her earlier.

"Mum was in the loo, and she said Dad's on his way down," James replied. 'They'd better hurry, I'm hungry."

Albus was sorting the gifts into piles for each person. Their parents never purchased more than two gifts for each child: they didn't believe in spoiling children too much. Once, years ago, James complained about not getting enough presents, and their father launched on a lengthy rant about his cousin and how he always got too many presents for his own good and how it made him a spoiled and fat child. None of the Potter children ever complained about presents ever again.

Their mother and father entered the room as Albus was shaking gifts up next to his ear. They were wearingbathrobes and looked more awake than they probably felt. "Is anyone ready for presents?" their dad asked heartily.

Breakfast would just have to wait. Mr. Potter was always prepared for present opening as soon as he woke up. Lily's parents joined her and James on the couch, and Albus passed them each a gift. Lily tore off the wrapping paper on the oblong package and removed the box lid. A new set of Quidditch robes with gold lining stared up at her.

The family went through their packages in this way for the next half hour, exclamations of joy expelling from each one of them. Lily watched with pride as her father unwrapped the silk tie printed with dragons, and as her mother opened the new stiletto heels she had been eying for months. Lily had been saving up her pocket money for these gifts all year. She knew that, now that she was thirteen, she could not longer get away with handmade gifts for her parents. For her thirteenth birthday they had increased her pocket money allowance, and therefore expected her to treat her money in a more adult fashion. She had purchased these gifts for her parents, as well as a new shirt for Albus (as a little hint), a nice watch for James to help him when he went off on all of his worldly business, and small things for Garret and Lucile. She had also embroidered pillows and handkerchiefs for her grandparents and other relatives because her pocket money had run out after buying for immediate family and friends. Since she could only do embroidery for the rest of her family, she had also improved her calligraphy skills and constructed fancy cards for each member of the family.

When Lily reached the end of her small pile of gifts, she realized that she had not received a gift from her favorite brother James. Her eyebrows knitted together in confusion and she searched under the piles of discarded, wrinkled wrapping paper for a box. It was James who normally gave her the largest gift.

"Who's up for a spot of breakfast?" her mother asked. Albus was now wearing the shirt Lily gave him as well as a new hat; James had on his new watch and was fooling around with his new model of a Quidditch pitch, equipped with two flying teams.

"I'm starving," Albus exclaimed, springing up from his place on the floor and following his mother out of the ballroom and into the kitchen.

The three left in the ballroom were silent for a while, James and Mr. Potter admiring their new toys, and Lily still searching for a box from James. "Um, James?" Lily said eventually, clearing her throat.

Both her brother and her father looked over at her.

"I don't think I got a present from you," Lily continued shyly.

James looked as confused as she felt. "I bought you one. See if it's still under the tree."

Lily left her place on the couch and, on her hands and knees, searched under the large tree. The bottom branches were dropping, obscuring her vision.

Her mother loved Christmas trees. She liked to keep theirs erected in the ballroom for as long as possible, even if that meant getting in a tiff with her husband over it. Lily's father didn't like the Christmas tree to still be standing in the ballroom when he entertained guests. Still, Mrs. Potter always applied charms to the falling needles and added potions to the water in order to make the tree last well after Christmas. Sometimes, she was even able to make it look healthy until February. After a certain point, however, not even the charms and potions could keep the tree fresh, and it eventually had to be set out by the street kerb to be taken away.

Lily spotted a rather small box half-covered by the tree skirt. She retrieved it and promptly began to remove the wrapping paper. James watched as she lifted the box lid and gasped at what lay inside. On black velvet padding sat a silver, heart-shaped locket, inscribed with the letter _L_. Mouth agape, Lily removed the locket delicately from its bed and opened it.

The two pictures inside were of herself and James. "It's so you won't forget me once I've gone," James said, half-jokingly.

Tears sprung to Lily's eyes against her will.

"Ah, but wait, there's more," James added, sliding off of the couch and sitting next to his younger sister. Lily tried to blink the tears from her eyes and James carefully flipped over the picture of himself to reveal two more pictures: one of their mother and one of their father. "And again," he said, and flipped over the picture of Mr. Potter to reveal yet two more picture compartments. Only one of these was filled. It contained a photograph of the face of Albus; the heart-shaped space opposite him was blank. "That one's for that special boy that must pass my rigorous tests before he takes your heart," James said, pointing at the blank spot.

The tears that Lily had been fighting back spilled out of her eyes, and she threw her arms around her big brother, the locket clasped tightly in her hand. This was the best gift she'd ever received in her life, and she would cherish it forever. "Thank you so much, James! I love it!" she cried into his shoulder.

James returned her embrace, chuckling, his deep voice resonating throughout Lily's body. "I knew you would."

LPLPLPLPLPLPLPLPLPLPLPLPLPLP

**Reviews are welcome, thanks!**


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